The Duchess of Edinburgh delighted guests on Wednesday with a surprise visit to a tea party for the elderly at The Lighthouse in Barnsbury, Woking.
Sophie, Patron of The Lighthouse, appeared in good spirits as she joined the volunteer team, serving tea and cakes while chatting to guests.
The mother-of-two, 59, looked stylish and cozy in a pink Max Mara cashmere sweater and wool Gabriela Hearst skirt, teamed with a quilted waistcoat from Massimo Dutti.
The Tea & Cake for seniors meeting included delicious treats, a trivia quiz and knitting activity, as well as lively conversations.
The weekly event attracts a number of locals looking for friendship in the heart of the Barnsbury estate.
The Duchess of Edinburgh delighted guests on Wednesday with a surprise visit to a tea party for the elderly at The Lighthouse in Barnsbury, Woking
Sophie joined the volunteer team on Wednesday afternoon.
The royal family seemed to enjoy joining the group in serving tea and cake, playing quizmaster and chatting with guests.
In addition, she helped sort donations for the community fridge and even took part in knitting the quirky woolen cuddly toys used at The Lighthouse’s social coffee house, aptly named The Cozy.
Sophie looked effortlessly stylish in a pink cashmere sweater from Max Mara and a wool skirt from Gabriela Hearst, teamed with a quilted waistcoat from Massimo Dutti.
She completed her ensemble with a branded apron emblazoned with ‘The Lighthouse Kitchen’.
The mother-of-two showed off a natural makeup look as her hair was tied up in a messy chignon.
“It was a wonderful afternoon and a highlight of the start of the year for our small community,” said Anna Wright, center manager.
‘The Duchess made everyone feel so special, showing interest and care for our guests and rolling up her sleeves with the volunteers.’
Sophie, Patron of The Lighthouse, appeared in good spirits as she joined the volunteer team, serving tea and cakes while chatting to guests
The mother-of-two, 59, looked stylishly cozy in a pink Max Mara cashmere sweater and wool Gabriela Hearst skirt, teamed with a quilted waistcoat from Massimo Dutti
The Tea & Cake for seniors meeting included delicious treats, a trivia quiz and knitting activity, as well as lively conversations
It comes after Sophie said tampons and sanitary towels should be kept ‘out of the cupboard’ to encourage more conversations about periods in the home.
Sophie, a patron of Wellbeing of Women, was speaking during a visit to the Harris Girls’ Academy in East Dulwich, London, to raise awareness of menstrual problems.
During a workshop, in which the largely female students asked the question ‘what is a normal menstruation?’ discussed, Sophie candidly revealed some of her own challenges as a senior working royal, telling the students: ‘If you have heavy periods and are worried about when to get up from a chair. That’s the worst.’
Earlier she was met by Lynn Cooper, Deputy Lieutenant for Greater London, who presented Professor Dame Lesley Regan, Chair of Women’s Welfare and Women’s Health Ambassador.
The weekly event attracts a number of locals looking for friendship in the heart of the Barnsbury estate
The royal family seemed to enjoy joining the group in serving tea and cake, playing quizmaster and chatting with guests
It comes after Sophie said tampons and sanitary towels should be kept ‘out of the cupboard’ to encourage more conversations about periods at home
Dame Lesley accompanied the Duchess on the visit and led the workshop for girls aged 15 to 18.
Ms Tanya Simon-Hall, owner of menstrual health education workshops Adeno Gang, delivered a ‘myth-buster talk’ to break the taboos.
The Duchess heard that some girls were aware of friends who had to stay at home during their period because they could not afford sanitary towels.
Sophie speaks to those at The Lighthouse who gathered for the event
And she talked to the girls about how period products and how tampon size related to flow rather than body shape.
She said: ‘When you go shopping and your friends go for the mini and regular tampons, will you feel insecure and say, ‘I need the big guns’?
“It’s not because of the size of what you think, ‘Oh, I must be really big down there.'”
She further said that period products should be displayed at home and not stored in a cupboard. “Let’s get them out of the closet.”